I think it's quite possible to be both stupid and brave, narrow-minded and noble. At the end of the day, the Drazi are tough sons of bitches who you'd want at your back when the shit goes down, but they need to work on thinking things through a bit.

They're kind of opposite of the Minbari, who are elegant and seemingly sophisticated and "pure," but their weaknesses are the same as anyone else once you scratch the surface. The Drazi's weaknesses are obvious, but at the core of many is something worth respecting.

The purple/green thing is OK. Maybe kind of silly in concept but I just love watching it play out. One of Ivanova's better moments, IMO (and I'm not a fan) because she doesn't ham it up here as she usually does, even though there's plenty of opportunity for it.

I must be the only hardcore B5 fan that doesn't like technomages. They're a bit too sword 'n' sorcery D&amp;D kind of stuff for Babylon 5.

Great ep. Susan's face after her promotion ! I always feel like saying "Sorry girl, but a certain diplomatic assignment a couple months down the road is gonna make this look like sending a couple of five-year-olds to their rooms!" *cough*ActsofSacrifice*cough* Susan certainly develops a reputation for "alternative diplomacy techniques". And that Acme rescue is genius, I keep expecting to hear a toon organ in there! !

A- because I didn't like the green and purple thing at all. It was just dumb for an intelligent spacefaring race.

I think there are two psychologically distinct but physically identical species of Drazi. One half are the dumb, narrow-minded, gullible zealots seen in Parliament of Dreams, this episode, Rumours Bargains and Lies, the Paragon of Animals, and many others. The other half are the noble and self-sacrificing Drazi as portrayed in Matters of Honour, A Call to Arms, Shadow Dancing, Intersections in Real Time (kind of) etc. There doesn't seem to be any such a thing as an in-between Drazi, they're either one or the other.

Ok, I'll buy that. We have the same thing with humans. ~One half are the dumb, narrow-minded, gullible zealots seen in Parliament of Dreams, this episode, Rumours Bargains and Lies, the Paragon of Animals, and many others~

Republicans.

~The other half are the noble and self-sacrificing Drazi as portrayed in Matters of Honour, A Call to Arms, Shadow Dancing, Intersections in Real Time (kind of) etc. ~

I think there are two psychologically distinct but physically identical species of Drazi. One half are the dumb, narrow-minded, gullible zealots seen in Parliament of Dreams, this episode, Rumours Bargains and Lies, the Paragon of Animals, and many others. The other half are the noble and self-sacrificing Drazi as portrayed in Matters of Honour, A Call to Arms, Shadow Dancing, Intersections in Real Time (kind of) etc. There doesn't seem to be any such a thing as an in-between Drazi, they're either one or the other.

I'd forgotten about their appearances in Matters of Honour and Intersections in Real Time. Into the Fire also had one of the Drazi ships sacrificing itself to save the White Star 2 from one of the Shadow rockets. So yes, they possibly do have more characterisation than I realised, although when I think of Drazi the first thing I think of is purple/green, and I don't know if that's such a good thing.

One of the more prominent things about the Drazi that sticks in my mind from the show is their partnering with the Narn to bomb the hell out of Centauri Prime. (I don't know what that contributes to the conversation, but I felt like saying it.)

I'm writing up my review of this episode right now, while at the same time my B5 reading has reached the first book of the TM Trilogy. In case I don't get to it before I finish writing the review, is it in book one or two of the trilogy where it's hinted at that the Shadows may have had a hand in the creation of the Drazi's green/purple idea?

__________________
"When you have reached the end of the road then you can decide whether to go to the left or the right, to fire or to water. If you make those decisions before you have even set foot upon the road it will take you nowhere." - Galen

One of the more prominent things about the Drazi that sticks in my mind from the show is their partnering with the Narn to bomb the hell out of Centauri Prime. (I don't know what that contributes to the conversation, but I felt like saying it.)

The thing that struck me most about that, was that we know the Drazi and the Narn don't get on. We at least get as much of a hint of that when Londo addresses Earthgov in Rising Star.

It was a classic example of the enemy of my enemy.

__________________
We live for The One, we die for The One

"We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

__________________
"When you have reached the end of the road then you can decide whether to go to the left or the right, to fire or to water. If you make those decisions before you have even set foot upon the road it will take you nowhere." - Galen

Ivanova, freshly promoted to Commander, and given the Drazi situation. One of my most favorite problems on B5, because it's just so absurd.... "Green!.....Purple!" I laughed so hard....

Michael Ansara was just another of the 'Old Guard' of Science Fiction actors to come aboard almost as a 'blessing' of Babylon 5, and his performance did not disappoint as Elric. I almost wish his role was bigger in the episode. I have to wonder if maybe things would have gone different if he were the Technomage used in 'A Call to Arms' and 'Crusade'. Well they say that hindsight is 20-20.

And of course, Garibaldi being Garibaldi. Can't ask for much more from an episode. Loved it.

__________________Babylon 5 was last of the Babylon stations. There would never be another. It changed the future and it changed us. It taught us that we have to create the future or others will do it for us. It showed us that we have to care for one other, because if we don't, who will? And that true strength sometimes comes from the most unlikely of places. Mostly, though I think it gave us hope that there can always be new beginnings, even for people like us.
- Susan Ivanova